1. How
do infections, intoxications, and toxin - mediated infections cause foodborne
illness?
In light of
these three causes, acute foodborne illness may be classifi ed as infection,
intoxication, or toxin - mediated infection. Foodborne infections are caused
when biological hazards are consumed along with food. After ingestion the
pathogenic organisms multiply in the victim’s stomach or intestines and produce
such common symptoms of infection as nausea, abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea.
Intoxications are poisonings caused by eating food that contains a toxic
chemical. Some bacteria produce wastes that are toxic to humans. These
toxins can produce illness when
ingested with food even when the microbes that produced them are no longer present.
Foodborne intoxication may also follow the consumption of poisonous plants or
fi sh or the consumption of food that contains chemicals such as cleaning
agents or pesticides. A toxin - mediated infection is caused by eating food
that contains harmful microorganisms that produce a toxin once inside the human
body. A toxin - mediated infection differs from an intoxication because the
toxin is produced inside the human body.
2. What
four groups of people tend to be most susceptible to foodborne illness?
People more likely to get foodborne
illness:
.Infants preschool age children (4
years and younger)
.Pregnant women
.Elderly – 65 years and older
.Immunocompromised
.Individuals taking specific
medications
3. What
are the three classes of foodborne hazards? Give an example of each class.
Foodborne illness may be caused by
biological, chemical, or physical hazards in food.
-biological
: bacteria, viruses, parasites that pose an invisible challenge to food safety,
infected food handlers or by cross - contamination, where pathogens from raw
animal foods (beef, poultry, fish, and so forth) are transferred to ready - to
- eat foods by contaminated hands, equipment, and utensils.
-chemical
: formal, borax, metals and organic chemicals, may be introduced accidentally
during processing, causing outbreaks of toxic foodborne illness, food allergens
and the toxins associated with molds, plants (for example, mushrooms), and
certain species of fish (for example, puffer fish) and shellfish, or of human
origin, such as pesticides, cleaning agents, metals, and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs). agricultural chemicals (for example, pesticides, fertilizers,
and antibiotics), food additives (for example, preservatives and coloring
agents), metals, and industrial by - products.
-physical
: content of staples, gravel on rice, soil, stones, bone fragments from
animals, pieces of glass, staples, and jewelry, which can get into food as a
result of poor food - handling practices on the farm or ranch, in food -
processing plants, and in retail food establishments.
4. What are potentially hazardous
foods (time - temperature control for safety foods)? What characteristics cause
these foods to be frequently associated with foodborne disease outbreaks? And
what is the temperature danger zone, and why is it important to food safety?
Bacterial contamination may occur in
raw food, in cooked food that has not been properly handled, and on the
surfaces of equipment and utensils that have been contaminated by raw animal
foods, humans, or pests such as insects and rodents. In addition, certain food
products require time and temperature control to limit the growth of pathogenic
microorganisms and toxin formation. These items are called potentially
hazardous foods (time/temperature control for safety foods), or PHF/TCS foods.
Because PHF/TCS foods have been
frequently associated with foodborne disease outbreaks, they are a focal point
of most food safety programs. These foods must be handled and stored properly
to prevent and control bacterial growth and toxin production that can result in
foodborne illness. Bacterial causes of foodborne illness can be divided into
two categories,
the
spore formers and the non - spore formers. This distinction is important
because it has implications for prevention.
Temperature
Danger Zone is microbes that cause food poisoning multiply most quickly on
potentially hazardous foods that are stored in the Temperature Danger Zone
between 50 C and 600 C. Potentially
hazardous must be kept at safe temperatures of at or below 50 C or
at or above 600 C to stop food poisoning microbes from
multiplying.
5. What
is meant by poor personal hygiene, and how can it lead to foodborne illness?
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Even healthy people can
be a source of the harmful microbes that cause foodborne illness. Therefore
good personal hygiene is extremely important when handling foods. Soiled hands
and clothing, infected food workers, and workers who do not practice good
personal hygiene are major threats to food safety. All of these diseases can potentially
be transmitted by food and are considered severe health hazards. Food handlers
who have been exposed to any of these pathogens must be excluded from work or
assigned to restricted activities where they will have no contact with food. A
food handler ’ s hands and fi ngers can become contaminated when he or she
eats, smokes, uses the toilet, handles raw foods, touches soiled items, or
wipes up spills. Saliva, perspiration, feces, juices from raw animal food
products, and various types of soil can be signifi cant sources of
contamination if they are allowed to get into food. Therefore food workers must
wash their hands whenever they have been exposed to these contaminants.
6. What
is cross - contamination, and what are some ways to prevent it?
Cross - contamination is
the transfer of pathogens from one food to another via contaminated hands,
equipment, or utensils. Cross contamination occurs when microbes and dirt from
people, raw meat and raw fruit and vegetables, transfer to ready-to-eat foods,
on utensils and equipment or through poor storage practices. Cross -
contamination commonly occurs when ready - to - eat foods come into contact
with raw animal foods or with surfaces that have had contact with these types
of foods. Cross - contamination can also occur when raw foods are stored above
ready - to - eat foods, and juices from the raw product spill or splash onto
the ready - to - eat food.
Some ways to
prevent cross contamination :
.Use separate equipment, such as
cutting boards, when preparing raw foods and ready - to - eat foods (color
coding may be helpful for this task).
.Clean and sanitize food - contact
surfaces of equipment and utensils in between working with raw animal foods and
ready - to - eat foods.
.Avoid touching ready - to - eat
foods with bare hands.
.Prepare ready - to - eat foods
first, then the raw foods.
.Keep raw and ready - to - eat
foods separate during storage or store ready - to – eat foods above raw
products.
Reduce
cross contamination by :
. Minimising hand contact with food
. Separating raw and cooked foods
. Using separate utensils to handle
raw and cooked foods.
